The Internet has flattened media and advertising, period. An ad on the Internet is an ad on the Internet -- you can't make more money off of ad-supported music listener than an article viewer because advertisers aren't willing to pay more than a small fraction of a cent for a single impression and they don't often care what medium you are consuming. But ultimately, the way we value culture in today's world boils down to how much we can sell an ad for that is tied to that culture.

Historically, this isn't unique. Art itself was never worth much; most artists had to find a patron to be able to produce art, and in return the patron got some of the art. But art has never really been sold on the open market in the style of the Internet; and when it has been, the value someone is willing to pay for it is never in line with the amount of themselves the artist put into it.

Should art be worth more than it is? Of course it should. But it won't be until we as a culture are willing to pay a lot more for it.